Someone Else's Problem
by Griddlebone
Summary: He would never forget the day he found out about the island, the day they told him Tommy was dead.


"Nice place you've got here," Jason commented.

"Thanks," Tommy said with a half-smile. "It's close to Reefside and the museum. Still needs some work, but that'll give me something to do. It seemed like a good investment."

Jason suspected that his old friend wanted to say more, but they had to be careful of what they said now that they were done with the grand tour and were standing outside on the front porch. It was an old habit; they never knew who might be listening. And as far as Jason was concerned, it was better that way.

It wasn't the lingering awkwardness between them that bothered him, nor the still mind-boggling fact that Tommy was about to become a high school science teacher. It was the house. It wasn't a bad house, per se. But it was the basement that had Jason a bit worried. The basement-slash-lair, with its cutting edge equipment and hidden stash of dino gems… gems that, if Tommy was to be believed, held power akin to the old morphin' grid. Jason wasn't sure that keeping something like that in your basement was a good idea, even if you were Tommy Oliver and your basement looked more like a command center than anything else.

"Yeah," Jason agreed, doing his best to ignore his misgivings. "Seems like a good move. Thanks for inviting me out to see it. Means a lot." Not that he was entirely sure exactly _what_ it meant.

Tommy seemed to be gradually cluing in to Jason's reticence. "I know. And I know you didn't want to be dragged into any more adventures, Jase." He had a funny look on his face, one Jason wasn't sure how to read. "But if something happens to me, I need to know that somebody that will do the right thing knows what's here."

"And that's me."

"You know there's no one else I trust like you."

Jason wasn't sure how to react to that. He supposed it was only natural. They'd been best friends in high school. They'd both been leaders of their respective teams. But they had drifted apart since then, despite the best of intentions. Life had different plans for the two of them, with Tommy going on to get a PhD in paleontology and Jason starting his own career halfway across the country. He'd only returned to Angel Grove around the same time as Tommy was leaving it.

And then there had been the mission to the moon. It had been the first time they really reconnected since their Ranger days, but nothing had been the same. They'd become different people. They'd grown up.

Some more than others.

They had agreed to try being friends again, better friends than they had become, anyway. They'd met for coffee a few times since then, watched a couple of football games together. But it hadn't been long before Tommy Oliver was in trouble again.

He would never forget the day he found out about the island, the day they told him Tommy was dead.

And that, Jason suspected, was the real reason Tommy had invited him out here today.

Sure, Tommy had turned out to be alive that time. He'd escaped the island before it was destroyed. But what about next time?

And Jason had no doubt there would be a next time.

When that time came, Tommy might get lucky again and make it out alive. Or he might not. There was no real point in worrying about it. The way Jason saw it, he could either cross that bridge when he got to it, or he could run himself ragged trying not to reach that point in the first place. He could run himself ragged and feel endlessly guilty about every danger Tommy encountered, and the odds were good Tommy wouldn't even notice.

And because those were dangerous thoughts that he didn't want Tommy to pick up on, he made some excuse, said his good-byes, and got the hell out.

It almost felt like he was running away.

Maybe he was. Maybe he was running from Tommy and feelings he thought he'd buried a long time ago. Maybe he was running from what might be. He tried not to give it that much thought.

When he'd gone a couple of miles down the road, he pulled over and killed the ignition and sat for a long time in silence. As much as he hated to admit it, he was starting to feel old. Old and tired.

He wasn't a teenager anymore. Lately he'd even begun to consider his future. He wanted a stable job and a nice house and an expensive car. He wanted a family, maybe even kids someday. And he knew he could have all of those things. For a long time he'd held out hope that Tommy could be a part of that future, but after today he had to accept that it was only wishful thinking. And it would never be more than that.

What kind of father and husband would he be if he was also a Power Ranger? He knew how that would turn out all too well, from bitter experience. A Ranger's loved ones were targets, and soon enough became victims. They were weak points, and their very existence made it all too easy for the worst villains of the universe to hurt and manipulate the people fighting for good.

He had never regretted his time as a Power Ranger, but when he got the call about that last mission, it had felt like a chore. He'd been more keenly aware than ever before of just what was at stake and how dangerous it really was. He had known those feelings well for a very long time; he'd heard them over and over, first from Trini and then, almost grudgingly, from Zack and Kimberly. It had taken him a long time to understand where they were coming from, but now there was no going back.

He understood now.

And he hoped like hell that what Tommy had showed him today would be someone else's problem.

* * *

Note: This was originally written a while ago and posted on AO3 for Alpha's Magical Fic Exchange 2013.


End file.
